Few accidents in ice, snow

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By Don Reid

The Daily Reporter - Coldwater, MI

By Don Reid

Posted Feb. 2, 2013 at 9:44 AM

By Don Reid
Posted Feb. 2, 2013 at 9:44 AM

Coldwater, Mich.

dwreid@aol.com

COLDWATER — Most drivers, Branch County Road Commission personnel and city and village road crews were ready Thursday morning for the ice and snow after temperatures dropped 40 degrees from a rainy Wednesday.

There were some reports of vehicles sliding off the roads, but none of the accidents were serious.

BCRC has 29 people to keep the roads clear. Under a maintenance contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation, it must keep I-69 clear on all lanes with crews working at night.

Manager-engineer Trent Arver said crews work as long as it takes. For U.S. 12 and M-86, crews must only keep two tracks open for traffic. The contract covers 228 lane miles to Sturgis and Colon.

MDOT does not allow sand to be used on I-69 in an effort to keep its drains from clogging.

On weekends a patrol decides if staff needs o be called in for road clearing. Arver said MDOT establishes a work plan every six months which allocates costs for both maintenance mowing and road clearing.

That was $847,000 last year.

The BCRC started this winter with 58 percent of the ice and snow removal budget of $290,000 from last year and carried funds over to this year.

The BCRC has cut staff as revenues have fallen in the last three years. It is down four people, two retirees and two who left.

BCRC Chairman Merle Donbrock said three people are hired part-time during the winter when needed under an agreement with the employees association, which is the commission union.

It can hire up to six.

Second priority goes to main county roads which will be scraped and have sand-salt material applied before they move to lesser priority roadways. Only then will they work on lower-level county roads, dirt roads and subdivisions.

The BCRC has a policy that crews will not work overtime.

Cities and villages are responsible for street clearing inside their communities.